Sacrifice
Chapter Three
A/N: Sorry this took so long. Also, I promised to put the pairings in this chapter, but that's actually going to be the next chapter because I had a new idea for this one. But they really will be in the next chapter. Anyway, enjoy!
--
Janaff--
I really hate to tell you this, but Bastian, Geoffrey, and Kieran totally freaked out. They're acting like complete idiots! I wish you were here, then you could beat them up--joking, though it would be cool.
Anyway…that's so sweet that Tibarn and Reyson feel that way! Yeah, definitely normal Ulki. Amber's not all that bad--if you look past the fact that she's an evil fourteen-year-old who wants to date you and would do anything, risk anything, to get her way. Uhh…yeah…
Well, I suppose I should go help the Queen get ready for this ball thing she's throwing tonight. She wants me to go, but I don't think I'll be able to have any fun without you.
I love you too!
--Lucia
Janaff sighed.
"Her handwriting's beautiful--just like her. How I wish I could be there for Elincia's ball. I feel like I'm letting Lucy down…"
--
"You know what they say, Bastian. When life gives you lemons, turn them into oranges!" exclaimed Geoffrey, trying to cheer his friend up.
"You mean lemonade?"
"No…oranges."
-Geoffrey's Flashback. Geoffrey is eight and Lucia is ten. The two are seated at a table--which has blue placemats with lemons on them--drinking guava pineapple juice.-
"I'm going to train with Uncle Renning today," stated Geoffrey's sister.
"You know, Lucia, he's not your uncle. In fact, he's absolutely no relation to you at all."
"So?! I can still call him that if I want!"
"Lucia, you are so childish."
"Nuh-uh!"
Geoffrey, in a fit of anger, knocked over his juice. The juice spreads across the table, getting three of the placemats wet.
"Geoffrey! Just look what you did! Mom's going to be so mad when she finds out!"
"Oh no…please don't tell her!"
"She's gonna notice when she sees her placemats are soaked!"
"Oh no no no…please help me!"
"Okay, fine."
Lucia got up, grabbed some paper towels, and began wiping up the spilled juice.
"Get the trashcan."
"Okay."
Geoffrey brought the trashcan over to his sister, who threw the used paper towels in it. She then took the placemats and wrung them out over the trashcan.
"Here. Throw these in the clothes hamper."
"Okay."
Geoffrey took the placemats to the hamper while Lucia looked for some new ones. She found three and placed them on the table just as their parents were coming in the door.
Geoffrey and Lucia sat back down at the table.
"Did you two have fun while we were gone?" inquired their father, Martin.
"Lots!"
"You didn't fight, did you?" asked their mother, Amanda.
"Not at all!"
"That's good."
Amanda then looked down at her placemats.
"I thought my placemats had lemons on them."
"They do…"
"No, these are oranges."
"Uhh…"
"What have you two done?"
"Nothing, Mother!"
"Yeah, haven't you ever heard the expression 'when life gives you lemons, turn them into oranges?'"
Martin sighed.
"It's lemonade, Lucia."
-End Geoffrey's Flashback.-
The Count had been talking this whole time, but Geoffrey was clueless to what he was saying.
"But the only thing I want is your sister…"
"Seriously, Bastian, what's so great about my sister?"
"She's beautiful…and smart, funny, beautiful, kind, beautiful, caring, beautiful…"
"Uhh…Bastian…you said 'beautiful' four times."
"I did? I hadn't noticed…"
The two were interrupted by Lucia walking into the room with a sheet of paper.
"Geoffrey…"
"Yes, Sister?"
"Queen Elincia would like to see you in the meeting room."
"Thank you."
Geoffrey started to walk away.
"Oh! And Oscar wanted me to give you this list."
"Hm?"
"I think it's the items he wants from the market…you said you'd pick them up for him."
"Oh, yes. I nearly forgot. I'll get right on that after I speak with the queen."
Geoffrey left the room after saying that, leaving Lucia alone with Bastian.
"I still don't see how you fell in love with that sub-human."
"Sub-human? I don't recall saying that I was in love with you, Bastian. The man I love, Janaff, is a laguz."
With that Lucia left the astonished Count to mumbled to himself.
"Did she just call me a sub-human?"
--
Grocery List
Tomatoes
Soy beans
Radishes
Pecans
Apples
Janaff
Pasta
Cherries
Grapes
Red Onions
Geoffrey read over this list four times to make sure that his eyes were not deceiving him. The sixth thing on the list really was Janaff.
"Had he really meant to put that?" Geoffrey muttered to himself. "I should go find out."
--
"Oscar?!"
"Hm? Oh, Geoffrey! Do you need something?" Oscar asked, turning around.
"Lucia gave me that list…"
"Oh. That's good."
"Okay, Oscar. It's not funny. Tell me why you did it."
"Did what?!"
"Wrote 'Janaff' on that list."
"Oh, that."
"Uh-huh."
"Well, since Queen Elincia's ball is tonight, I thought it'd be nice if you went to get Janaff."
"Okay. Number one…why in the world would I even consider doing that?"
"You want to do something nice for your sister?"
"Ha. No. And even if I did, how would I get there in time? Phoenicis is only accessible to beorc by ship, and that would take days!"
"Geoffrey, I think you're forgetting something…there's these things called pegasi. They can fly and…"
"Okay, okay, I get it. But still, it's not like I can ride a Pegasus."
"I've already asked Marcia, and she said she'd take you."
"Why do I have to go? Can't she go by herself?"
"It would mean a lot to Lucia if you supported her relationship. Believe me, I know. Janaff's a great guy. He'd never intentionally hurt your sister."
"Fine, I'll go."
"Great! Marcia's waiting out in the stables."
"Okay."
--
Geoffrey arrived in the stables and found Marcia talking to her Pegasus, Torie. She turned around when she heard footsteps nearing her.
"Ready to go, General?" inquired the Seraph Knight.
"I suppose."
"Torie's ready too, so I guess we should be leaving."
"Right."
The two mounted the eager Pegasus and took to the skies.
--
"What about this one?" the Queen of Crimea asked, showing a dress to two of her retainers.
"It's nice," replied Kieran, not very excited to be there.
"No. It's too…" started Lucia.
"Long?"
"Yes. We don't want what happened last time to happen again."
"You're right. I'll go find another one."
The queen went into her closet to find a new dress.
"What happened last time?" asked the knight in a hushed tone.
"She tripped and ripped her dress."
"Oh. Say, Lucia, how many dresses has she shown us? I lost count…"
"Twenty-eight."
"Won't she ever be finished?"
Lucia only laughed as the queen came back out with another dress on.
"This one?"
"Apparently my opinion doesn't really matter much, but I like it."
"Me too. Perfect length, style, everything."
"Great!"
"So we're done here?"
"No…I still need to pick out shoes."
"Well you can do it without me!"
Kieran stood up and left the room.
"That was rude."
"Yeah. So you really like the dress?"
"Of course! It suits you well."
The said dress happened to be one that slightly passed Elincia's ankles. It was light purple in color and had turquoise designs sweeping across the fabric.
"Which dress are you going to wear?"
"I was thinking about the deep red one, but it just seems a bit too informal."
"What happened to the indigo one?"
"Long story. Pretty much, Geoffrey tore it up with his lance…and then had his horse trample over it."
"That's…unfortunate. I might have a dress you might like, actually. Let me go get it."
Elincia got up and went into her closet before Lucia could protest. She came back carrying the most gorgeous dress Lucia had ever seen. It was slightly longer than Elincia's and pure white in color. It had blue outlining that matched Lucia's hair perfectly.
Seeing her friend's awe, Elincia spoke up.
"You could borrow it if you'd like. It was a gift from my mother. I've only worn it once."
"Oh, Elincia, I couldn't."
"I insist. In fact, it's an order."
"Elincia…"
"Fine. If you don't think it's fair, then we'll do a trade. You can borrow the dress and I'll borrow that pair of shoes you got from Geoffrey on your birthday. Deal?"
"Deal."
--
"He'd never intentionally hurt your sister."
Intentionally was the key word there. What if he did hurt her?
Geoffrey thought to himself.
Truth was, he didn't think anyone was good enough for his sister. Not Bastian. Not Kieran. Not even Duke Renning or any other high-ranking official. So why would some laguz he didn't even know that well be good enough?
Sensing Geoffrey's inner conflict, Marcia had not said a word the whole trip. Until now that is.
"You know, Geoffrey, Janaff really is a great person. He treats Lucia like she's Ashunera herself!"
Ashunera, huh?
"Right."
"Really, he does!"
"I'm not denying it. I just worry about her, that's all."
"You know, if I didn't know better I'd say you didn't like him because he's a laguz. But the truth is, you just don't want her to be happy."
"What?! That's nonsense! Of course I want my sister to be happy!"
"Then you should show it. She's happy with Janaff. She loves him."
Marcia's words hurt. Geoffrey wanted his sister to be happy, but he also wanted her to be safe. He just wasn't sure whether or not Janaff would break her heart. Or if she'd break his heart and have Tibarn, Ulki, Reyson, Lotz, and probably even Amber after her.
He just wasn't sure.
--
A/N: Wow, that was surprisingly long for me. I almost made it longer, adding the parts for the ball, but decided not to. And that would be why the pairings were not in this chapter--they're going to be at the ball and such.
Thanks to all my readers and reviewers, and I'll try to update soon!
FE Frog: I hope you don't go mental…that would be…unfortunate. Lethe/Zihark could work. I'm not sure yet. I read your story with Robyn and it was really good. They would be a good couple. But what ever happened to the story?
Ralf Jones: Glad you liked it. And I will have some beorc/beorc couples and laguz/laguz couples. I have a few thought up already, but not many.